Diverse Reflections: Equity & Inclusion in Healthcare

1. Extracting your foot from your mouth: Equity and Diversity goes to the movies.... FMF presentation CFPC Equity and Diversity Committee 2010

2. Reflect on some times when... • You flushed, thinking “I shouldn’t have said (or done) that” • You thought “um...I don’t think I can manage this, how can I get out of this interaction?” • You wondered “how did I get myself into this awkward conversation and how can I get out?” • You asked “is there any way to avoid or prevent misunderstandings like that?”

3. Challenges in patient care • Attributed to • Doctor’s naïveté • Doctor’s discomfort • Doctor’s concern re amount of paperwork required when caring for pts with disabilities • Patients’ religious beliefs • Patients’ stereotyping of physicians based on gender

4. Diversity ...what does that mean? • May be obvious, not necessarily: • Gender • Colour • Ability (visual, hearing, physical.....) • Religion • Culture/Ethnicity • Sexual Orientation

5. Not accepting diversity....is that discrimination? • How do we feel, as physicians, when WE are in the minority, when WE feel discrimination? • Watch the following episode...

6. Follow up questions: • What does this clip insinuate about doctors? • What makes the clip believable or not? • Is the doctor/patient relationship one we see commonly? • Who put their foot in their mouth? • Why?

7. How can we respond to a “gaff”? • Some physical attributes are obvious, and require comment; others are not. • Name some attributes that it is awkward to comment on, but may affect one’s ability to look after or examine a patient • Watch the next clip…….

8. Follow up questions: • Should we comment on physical attributes? • When? • What if the situation is reversed? • Have you had experiences with patients with other types of physical challenges?

9. Should such differences matter? • How can we respond better to patients who have physical or intellectual attributes that are challenging to us? • How can we respond better to patients who have a different belief system from us?

10. Looking for diversity in smaller communities • What experiences in smaller communities have you noticed, with respect to discrimination? • Why is this different there? • Watch the next clip…..

11. Follow up questions • What preconceptions do we have about small communities? • How do our preconceptions influence our behaviour? • How can we change this, before our “foot is in our mouth”?

12. What thoughts come to your mind in addressing the needs of the patient? Obstacles? Solutions?

13. Non visible traits of diversity • What are examples of non-visible diversity? • What ways can these traits make an encounter uncomfortable or awkward? • Watch the next clip…..

14. Follow up questions • What types of encounters have you experienced? • What ways can our reaction “put off” a patient or discourage them from seeking care? • How can we help or hinder this?

15. Reflection and Future Steps • How do these ideas make you think about how you would interact with your patients and residents in future? • What follow up activities would you do as a result?

16. Possible ways of responding to challenges • Discuss issue with the patient • Establish clinic policies re: tolerance • Refer patient to another physician for certain types of conditions/examinations • Make it clear to patients that inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated

17. Acknowledgements We would like to acknowledge the contributions of the members of CFPC Committee on Equity and Diversity in the development of this presentation: Konia Trouton, Chair Brian Cornelson Doris Kyeremateng Barbara Lent Dominique Tessier and Francine Lemire Associate Executive Director of Professional Affairs

18. Final Remarks • We hope the discussion has stimulated ideas for future educational encounters • We hope the clips have opened up some areas for reflection THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!